Joan Plowright

Acknowledged as one of the finest stage actresses of her generation, Joan Plowright unexpectedly put her burgeoning career on hold in order to focus her young family and famous husband, Sir Laurence O...
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Veteran actress Dame Joan Plowright has retired from acting after losing her sight. The Tea with Mussolini star, widow of acting legend Laurence Olivier, has decided to end her career after more than 60 years on stage and screen.
A spokesperson for her management tells Britain's Daily Telegraph, "It is true that she will not be acting any more."
The 84 year old has been suffering from Macular degeneration, a slow loss of vision, but is now believed to be almost completely blind.
In April (14) she was honoured during a rare public appearance at the St. Mary's House in Sussex, England and was interviewed in front of fans.
Theatre director Richard Digby Day, who spoke to her during the event, explained, "There was a great turnout and, while she was sharp of mind, it was clear that she could no longer see at all."
Plowright's first film appearance was in 1951's Sara Crewe and she went on to win two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award, as well as earning nominations for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 1992's Enchanted April.

Sir Laurence Olivier's stinging criticism of co-stars including Marilyn Monroe, Joan Fontaine and Kirk Douglas has been revealed in tapes he made for the autobiography he never wrote. The acting legend's audio tapes have been uncovered and used to put together a new biography, almost 25 years after his death, with the permission of Olivier's widow, Joan Plowright, and the original interviewer.
The recordings reveal Olivier's true thoughts on his Hollywood peers, including his "hatred" for Monroe, his troubled co-star in 1957 movie The Prince and the Showgirl.
He said of the iconic blonde, "My hatred for her was one of the strongest emotions I have ever felt."
However, he went on to admit he was blown away by her performance onscreen adding, "I was flabbergasted (by) how wonderful Marilyn was."
Olivier went on to brand his Rebecca leading lady Fontaine "loathsome", while he called his Wuthering Heights co-star Merle Oberon "a silly little amateur".
The star also revealed he was deeply irritated by Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster during production on their 1959 film The Devil's Disciple, spitting, "I didn't care to be taught acting by those two."
The book by Philip Ziegler, titled Olivier, is due for release next month (Sep13). The actor died in 1989 at the age of 82.

You can spend all the time you like building up your own self-esteem, investing in things like your propensity for kindness and the bounty of love you share with friends and family. But the truth is, people who win things are better than you. They're better than all of us. What it all boils down to is that whoever leaves this Earth with the most gold-plated statues in his or her possession has triumphed over us all.
A good many actors have taken home the coveted Golden Globe Award (granted it's not Oscar-caliber coveting, but still some pretty ample coveting) since the organization's inception in 1944. But among this lot of victors are the superhuman, the creme-de-la-creme who hold the records for most awards won, most nominations earned, most categories dominated, and the like. Here's a quick look at who in Hollywood has the most bragging rights in the eyes of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Meryl Streep
Achievements: Most Golden Globe wins overall (8) and most Golden Globe nominations overall (27) (All of Steep's wins and nominations have been in acting categories)
Jack Nicholson
Achievements: Most Golden Globe wins for a male (6) (All in acting categories)
Francis Ford Coppola
Achievements: Most Golden Globe wins for a director (5)
Jack Lemmon
Achievements: Most Golden Globe nominations for a male (22) (All in acting categories)
Sigourney Weaver, Joan Plowright, and Kate Winslet
Achievements: Only individuals to win multiple Golden Globe Awards at a single ceremony (2 each) (All in acting categories)
Jamie Foxx
Achievements: Most Golden Globe nominations at a single ceremony (3) (All in acting categories)
Jessica Tandy
Achievements: Oldest individual to win a Golden Globe Award (at 80 years old) (She won Best Actress for her role in Driving Miss Daisy in 1990)
Henry Fonda
Achievements: Oldest male to win a Golden Globe Award (at 76 years old) (She won Best Actor for his role in On Golden Pond in 1982)
Ricky Schroeder
Achievements: Youngest individual to win a Golden Globes (at 9 years old) (He won Best New Star of the Year for The Champ in 1980)
[Photo Credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBC]
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Oscar winner, stage veteran, tough TV cop, Britain's beloved monarch - Dame Helen Mirren has proved she fits perfectly into any role, and she's still sexy at 65.
Born in London in 1945, Mirren joined the National Youth Theatre at 18 and went on to grace the stage at the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company.
Famous for playing a buxom beauty who wasn't afraid to bare all on camera, she went from arthouse to the mainstream after landing the role of detective Jane Tennison in British TV hit series Prime Suspect.
She has won an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth II, four BAFTAS, three Golden Globes and four Emmys, as well as a legion of fans around the world - becoming one of the most sought after stars as she entered her sixth decade.
And to celebrate such a legend, we have dug deep into her colourful past to uncover 10 fascinating facts about Britain's sauciest Dame. All Hail Helen!
- Dame Helen was chosen as one of People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World in 2007.
- She is only one of three actresses to win two Golden Globes for acting in the same year. Joan Plowright and Sigourney Weaver are the other two.
- Dame Helen has portrayed an English Queen three times; Queen Charlotte in The Madness of King George, Elizabeth I in Elizabeth I, and Elizabeth II in The Queen. She has also played monarchs in The Prince of Egypt, The Snow Queen and Caligula.
- She was voted the world's sexiest older woman in 2007.
- She can speak fluent French.
- Her real name is Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov. Her father changed the family name to help them fit in with London life.
- She has a fansite dedicated to her, called The Helen Mirren Appreciation Society.
- Dame Helen documented her life in a picture book, released in 2008.
- She plays an unfaithful brothel owner in her latest movie Love Ranch, which was directed by her real-life husband Taylor Hackford. It's only the second time Hackford has directed Mirren - he was the man behind the lens for 1985 film White Nights.
- Her first acting credit on imdb.com is listed as Herostratus in 1967.

It can’t just ALL be about a boy wizard named Harry Potter. There have to be other fantasy-driven stories grounded in reality that are just as exciting. And so there is: The Spiderwick Chronicles a series of short books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black which tells us about the magical creatures who live around us but who remain invisible so we humans won’t freak out. Probably a wise choice for most but there are a few who want to see the creatures. One such person is Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn) a turn-of-the-century naturalist who has witnessed the likes of sprites goblins hobgoblins ogres and trolls at work. He has documented their secrets and habits in his Field Guide--a book that if placed in the wrong hands could make some fantastical beast maliciously omnipotent. Jump ahead some 80 years when we meet Spiderwick’s descendents the Grace family who have moved into his dilapidated house in the woods. Newly divorced mom Helen (Mary-Louise Parker) has uprooted her kids--teenage Mallory (Sarah Bolger) and twins Jared and Simon (both Freddie Highmore)--to start a new life with Jared being the one protesting the loudest. That is until he finds Spiderwick’s field guide and quite literally opens Pandora’s box giving evil ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte) who has desperately wanted the book since its inception the window of opportunity he’s been waiting for. The Grace kids have to band together--with a few otherworldly allies of course--to protect the book at all costs. Although Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) struggles at times with the American accent the young British lad continues to prove his worthiness in the acting department--and joins the ranks of playing twins onscreen that dates back to Patty Duke on The Patty Duke Show (yes they were just cousins but they were identical cousins). Highmore does a nice job distinguishing between the two boys but he seems to have the most fun playing Jared. And rightly so since Jared is the true hero of the story. He is deeply wounded by his parents’ divorce blaming his mother for it all but in discovering this magical and dangerous world that goes way beyond his personal problems he quickly snaps to it. Bolger (In America) too takes her clichéd older-sister-who-knows-everything role and freshens it up adding a fierce determination to protect her family--with an expressive face that makes her very watchable. The adult cast isn’t nearly as important but they all fit in nicely especially Joan Plowright as Great Aunt Lucinda Spiderwick’s 80-something daughter who saw her father taken away by sylphs the keepers of the faeries’ secrets when she was 6 and has been trying to explain it ever since. Then there are the voices of some of the creatures the Graces meet including Martin Short as the ever-faithful house brownie Thimbletack; Seth Rogen as the hobgoblin Hogsqueal a piggish and friendly fellow whose spit in the eye gives you the Sight; and Nolte as the horrible villainous Mulgarath. OK all those who believe in faeries raise your hand! The Spiderwick Chronicles is just the kind of story that gets an imaginative kid to run out to the garden to start looking for sprites and director Mark Waters inherently understands this. Better known for his comedies such as Mean Girls and Freaky Friday Waters nonetheless grabs hold of the Spiderwick’s mythology and firmly plants it in reality with normal modern kids encountering a whole magical realm. Taking from the illustrations of co-author Tony DiTerlizzi Waters also gives us new versions of magical creatures we’ve read about for ages. Goblins for example look like giant frogs and act like attack dogs in this film as opposed to the more civilized view of them in the Harry Potter books--and goblins in Spiderwick can be killed by tomato sauce which melts them. Nice touch. Trolls too aren’t great big lumbering fellows but more dinosaur-like in Spiderwick. And let’s just say ogre Mulgarath looks nothing like Shrek but more so a devilish creature with yellow eyes and great big horns. Spiderwick is indeed scary at times maybe too scary for the younger kids but the action sequences and chase scenes are thrilling enough to keep everyone else’s attention.

Most moviegoers' mission Memorial Day weekend will be to see Paramount's "Mission: Impossible 2."
The PG-13-rated action adventure sequel -- known for short as "M:I-2" -- got off to a flying start with its Wednesday opening to $12.5 million at a record-setting 3,653 theaters ($3,422 per theater).
"It's a 37% first choice in the tracking," an insider points out, predicting blockbuster business for the long holiday weekend. Looking back, he adds, the original "Mission" was a 27% first choice when it opened, and last year's "Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace" was a 43% first choice.
"M:I-2's" Wednesday gross compares very favorably to the original "Mission: Impossible's" opening day total of $11.8 million for Wed., May 22, 1996, at 3,012 theaters ($3,918 per theater). That gross actually included pre-opening Tuesday night preview showings as well as the first full day's ticket sales. Because Paramount never broke out how much of that total represented the previews, it's consequently impossible to make precise comparisons between the two opening-day figures. It's reasonable, however, to figure that the sneaks did $1.5-2.0 million, which would have put the Wednesday-only gross in the $10.3-$9.8 million range.
The original "Mission" took in $56.8 million for the four-day weekend (May 24-27, 1996). It grossed $74.9 million for six days (if you don't count Tuesday's previews as an additional day or a half-day) and $79.0 million for its first full week in theaters (again, not counting the previews as an extra day). "Mission" went on to gross $180.9 million domestically and $284 million internationally, for a worldwide cume of $464.9 million.
Hollywood handicappers are anticipating $75-95 million for "M:I-2" for the six-day period from Wednesday through Monday and a seven-day gross of $80-100 million.
Clearly, "M:I-2" will be Number One by a mile for the four-day weekend, grossing north of $56 million.
Although there will be tons of media coverage of the opening day's gross, it won't be until Friday morning that the first meaningful comparisons can be made. Friday it will be possible to compare the drop from Wednesday to Thursday. The original "Mission's" drop was 46%, but its Wednesday gross included Tuesday night previews.
"Here's the question," says one observer. "Did all of that business go into Wednesday? In other words, the people who were so gung-ho to come out (to see the original) that Tuesday night, did they simply come out (to see the sequel) Wednesday, or are some of them going to be spread out over the first couple of days? If you accept the theory that you can't do as much business in one day as you can in a day and a half - whether because of capacity or because people might have been able to go Tuesday who couldn't go Wednesday for some reason - then they should not take as big a drop Thursday. They'll be measuring one day against one day, where last time they were measuring one day against a day and a half. That plus the better playability of the sequel suggests they won't drop 46% Thursday from Wednesday."
In 1996, "Mission's" daily grosses for its first week in theaters were: Wednesday -- $11.8 million; Thursday -- $6.3 million; Friday -- $13.1 million; Saturday -- $16.7 million; Sunday -- $15.6 million; Monday -- $11.4 million; and Tuesday -- $4.1 million. Its seven-day total was $79 million.
"If they follow the same trajectory, they'll be ahead of $79 million," an insider explains. "Obviously, they're hoping they won't drop 46% on Thursday because the sequel plays better than the first one. You're dealing with such big numbers that the difference between a 35% drop Thursday and a 46% drop could ultimately be $15 million for the first week, in the sense that it follows a different trajectory."
Directed by John Woo, "M:I-2" was produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner through their Cruise/Wagner production company, which also produced the 1996 blockbuster "Mission: Impossible." Besides Cruise, the sequel stars Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Sherbedzija and Ving Rhames. It was written by Robert Towne and executive produced by Terence Chang and Paul Hitchcock.
"I think 'Dinosaur' has the potential to do for the four days what it did last weekend for three days," a distribution executive predicts. That would give the Buena Vista/Disney PG-rated computer animated feature $39-40 million and make it a solid Number Two in its second weekend.
Directed by Ralph Zondag and Eric Leighton, it features such voices as D.B. Sweeney, Ossie Davis, Joan Plowright, Della Reese and Alfre Woodard.
"For pictures that play well, they tend to do on Memorial Day weekend what they did the previous (three-day) weekend," an insiders says. "Obviously, a movie like 'Mission' coming into the marketplace takes a big chunk of business - maybe not so much out of 'Dinosaur,' but out of 'Gladiator.'"
If "Gladiator" takes a hit, the DreamWorks' R-rated action adventure would finish third with $15-16 million in its fourth week. The film is half owned by Universal, which is releasing it internationally.
Directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Russell Crowe.
DreamWorks' R-rated youth appeal comedy "Road Trip" should come in fourth in its second weekend. "'Road Trip,' which opened to $15.5 million, ought to be able to do $12 million for the four days," an executive speculates.
Directed by Todd Philips, it stars Breckin Meyer and Sean William Scott.
The holiday weekend's only other new arrival, Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13-rated action comedy "Shanghai Noon," doesn't kick off until Friday. Given its first-choice tracking of 7%, it isn't likely to do better than fifth place with about $10 million at 2,711 theaters.
"It's a 7% first choice for both males and females," an insider notes. "Its best score is 10% with 18-20 year olds."
Directed by Tom Dey, "Shanghai" stars Jackie Chan, Owen C. Wilson and Lucy Liu.
"That puts it in a category with (Buena Vista's comedy) 'Spy Hard,' which opened to $10.4 million in third place for the four-day weekend against the first 'Mission: Impossible,'" says one observer. That same weekend, Warner Bros.' "Twister" was second with $38 million, which is in the same area as "Dinosaur" this time around.
"After 'Shanghai Noon,' you basically fall off the deep end," a studio source points out. "'Small Time Crooks' may grab another $3 million. The rest is just a couple million here and there - for 'U-571' and 'Frequency' and 'Battlefield Earth.'"
Written and directed by Woody Allen, the PG-rated comedy "Crooks" stars Allen, Tony Darrow, Hugh Grant, George Grizzard, Jon Lovitz, Elaine May, Michael Rapaport, Elaine Stritch and Tracey Ullman.
Warner Bros. and Franchise Pictures' PG-13-rated sci-fi action adventure "Battlefield Earth" is directed by Roger Christian and stars John Travolta, Barry Pepper and Forest Whitaker.
Universal's PG-13-rated World War II submarine drama "U-571" is directed by Jonathan Mostow and stars Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel and Jon Bon Jovi.
New Line's PG-13-rated time travel thriller "Frequency" is directed by Gregory Hoblit and stars Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel.
On the limited release front: Paramount Classics opens its PG-13-rated drama "Passion of Mind."
Directed by Alain Berliner, it stars Demi Moore.
MEMORIAL DAY OVERVIEW
Looking back at Memorial Day weekends over nearly two decades, it's clear that the holiday's importance to Hollywood has grown by leaps and bounds.
Memorial Day began looking like a potentially big holiday as far back as 1982 when MGM/UA's "Rocky III" starring Sylvester Stallone delive ed a $16 million knockout punch for four days at 939 theaters ($17,055 per theater). Hollywood hadn't quite yet realized how a Wednesday opening could extend a holiday weekend's impact, so "Rocky III" entered the ring on a Friday (May 28).
"Rocky III" ran rings around everything else playing that weekend: 20th Century Fox's suspense thriller "Visiting Hours" ($5.3 million), Universal's action drama "Conan the Barbarian" ($5.2 million), Universal's comedy "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" ($4.6 million) and Fox's youth appeal comedy "Porky's" ($4.5 million). Key films - those grossing at least $500,000 for the four days from May 28-31 - took in $49.9 million.
Only one year later, in 1983, Memorial Day box office history was being rewritten with Fox's launch of George Lucas' third "Star Wars" film "Return of the Jedi." This time, the action got underway on Wednesday, as "Jedi" blasted off to $30.5 million for four days (May 27-30) and $41.1 million for six days at 1,002 theaters.
Everything else playing was in a much lower orbit: Columbia's action drama "Blue Thunder" ($6.2 million), Paramount's romantic dance drama "Flashdance" ($4.7 million), Columbia's sci-fi epic "Spacehunter" ($4.6 million) and Orion's drama "Breathless" ($2.8 million). Key films grossed $61.4 million.
"Jedi's" Memorial Day record only lasted until 1984, one year later, when Paramount's adventure "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," from George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, kicked off on a Wednesday to $33.9 million for four days (May 25-28) and $42.3 million for six days at 1,687 theaters.
Nothing else came close: TriStar's drama "The Natural" ($6.9 million), Cannon and MGM/UA's dance film "Breakin'" ($4.1 million), Fox's adventure drama "Romancing the Stone" ($4.1 million) and Universal's youth appeal comedy "16 Candles" ($2.9 million). Key films took in $67.3 million.
Memorial Day 1985 wasn't nearly as strong as it had been in '84. TriStar's adventure sequel "Rambo: First Blood 2" starring Sylvester Stallone finished first with $25.5 million. With 2,074 theaters, it was the widest release Memorial Day had ever seen to that point.
By 1985 Hollywood was beginning to see the value of being in the Memorial Day marketplace. Unlike past years, when only one big new film had opened for the long weekend, 1985 brought a Friday opening for MGM/UA's James Bond adventure "A View To A Kill" ($13.3 million) and a Wednesday launch for Universal's comedy "Brewster's Millions" ($9.6 million for four days and $11.5 million for six days). Rounding out the top five were Paramount's long running "Beverly Hills Cop" ($2.9 million) and Warner Bros.' comedy "Police Academy 2" ($1.5 million). Key films grossed $63.6 million from May 24-27.
Memorial Day 1986 saw a big downturn in holiday ticket sales. Cannon/Warner Bros.' opening of the action adventure "Cobra" starring Sylvester Stallone was first with an unexciting $15.7 million at 2,131 theaters for four days.
MGM/UA's opening of its horror sequel "Poltergeist II" was a strong second with $12.4 million at 1,596 theaters. Others in the top five were: Paramount's "Top Gun" starring Tom Cruise, which had opened a week earlier ($9.4 million), TriStar's comedy "Short Circuit" ($5.5 million) and Universal's comedy "Sweet Liberty" ($3.1 million). Key films took in $51.9 million from May 23-26.
Memorial Day ticket sales snapped back to life in 1987 with Paramount's opening of "Beverly Hills Cop II" starring Eddie Murphy ($33.0 million for four days and $40.6 million for six days) at 2,326 theaters.
Second place went to Buena Vista's launch of "Ernest Goes to Camp" ($6.2 million). Others in the top five: Universal's comedy "The Secret of My Success" ($3.7 million), Columbia's failed comedy "Ishtar" ($3.4 million) and New Century's horror film "The Gate" ($2.9 million). Key films took in $62.2 million from May 22-25.
Memorial Day 1988 took a step backwards with Paramount's opening of "Crocodile Dundee II" starring Paul Hogan ($24.5 million for four days and $29.2 million for six days) at 2,837 theaters. By 1988, studios were going much wider than ever before.
TriStar's launch of "Rambo III" starring Sylvester Stallone was second with $16.7 million at 2,562 theaters ($21.2 million for six days). Also playing: MGM/UA's George Lucas drama "Willow" ($7.6 million), Orion's drama "Colors" ($2.4 million) and Warners' Tim Burton classic "Beetlejuice" ($2.0 million). Key films grossed $63.1 million from May 27-30.
Memorial Day saw big-time success again in 1989 with Paramount's opening of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" from Lucas/Spielberg with $37.0 million for four days and $46.9 million for six days at 2,327 theaters.
Nothing else stood a chance: TriStar's thriller "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" ($6.1 million), Universal's drama "Field of Dreams" ($5.7 million), UA's youth comedy "Road House" ($5.0 million) and Warners' opening of the drama "Pink Cadillac" starring Clint Eastwood ($4.4 million for four days). Key films mustered $69.5 million from May 26-29.
Memorial Day 1990 brought a downturn with Universal's opening of "Back To the Future Part III" with $23.7 million for four days at 2,019 theaters.
Universal also occupied second place with "Bird On A Wire" starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn ($12.8 million), which had opened one week earlier.
Others in the top five: Buena Vista's blockbuster "Pretty Woman" ($8.2 million), Orion's comedy drama "Cadillac Man" starring Robin Williams ($6.5 million) and Buena Vista's opening of its action drama "Fire Birds" starring Nicolas Cage and Tommy Lee Jones ($6.4 million for four days). Key films took in $69.8 million from May 25-28.
Memorial Day continued to drop in 1991 with Universal's opening of Ron Howard's drama "Backdraft" with $15.7 million for four days at 1,852 theaters. Second place went to Buena Vista's comedy "What About Bob" ($11.2 million) and TriStar's opening of the drama "Hudson Hawk" starring Bruce Willis was third ($7.1 million for four days at 2,071 theaters).
Rounding out the top five: MGM's opening of the now classic drama "Thelma &amp; Louise" starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis ($6.1 million for four days at 1,179 theaters) and Fox's opening of its drama "Only the Lonely" ($6.0 million at 1,179 theaters for four days). Key films totaled $69.6 million from May 24-27.
Success was in the air again with Memorial Day 1992 as Warners took first place with "Lethal Weapon 3" starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover ($27.6 million at 2,510 theaters). Having opened a week earlier, its 11 day cume was $70.5 million.
Fox's opening of "Alien 3" starring Sigourney Weaver was second with $23.1 million for four days at 2,227 theaters. Third place went to Universal's opening of Ron Howard's drama "Far and Away" starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman ($12.9 million for four days at 1,583 theaters).
Rounding out the top five: Buena Vista's opening of the comedy "Encino Man" starring Brendan Fraser ($9.9 million for four days at 2,050 theaters); and TriStar's blockbuster thriller "Basic Instinct" starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone ($3.2 million). Key films accounted for $93.5 million from May 22-25, marking the first time the Memorial Day marketplace expanded within reach of $100 million.
Memorial Day 1993 brought yet another TriStar action adventure opening starring Sylvester Stallone - "Cliffhanger" with $20.5 million for four days at 2,333 theaters. Second place went to Warners' opening of the comedy "Made In America" starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson ($11.8 million for four days at 2,048 theaters).
Warners' comedy "Dave" was third ($8.9 million), followed by Buena Vista's opening of the youth appeal drama "Super Mario Bros." ($8.5 millio n for four days at 2,081 theaters) and Fox's comedy sequel "Hot Shots! Part Deux" ($8.2 million). Key films retreated to $88.1 million from May 28-31.
Memorial Day ticket sales were on the rise again in 1994 with Universal's launch of its comedy "The Flintstones" with $37.2 million for four days at 2,498 theaters. Warners' second weekend of "Maverick" starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner was second ($18.6 million). Paramount's opening of "Beverly Hills Cop III" starring Eddie Murphy was third with $15.3 million for four days and $18.8 million for six days at 2,748 theaters.
Also in the top five: Buena Vista's drama "When A Man Loves A Woman" ($7.0 million) and Miramax's suspense thriller "The Crow" ($6.6 million). Key films were once again pushing $100 million -- with $95.2 million from May 27-30.
The marketplace expanded over Memorial Day 1995 although there wasn't as much action in first place. Universal's dramatic comedy "Casper" opened atop the chart with $22.1 million for four days at 2,714 theaters. Fox's second weekend of "Die Hard With A Vengeance" starring Bruce Willis was second with $19.0 million. Paramount's opening of "Braveheart" starring Mel Gibson took third place with $12.9 million for four days and $15.6 million for six days at 2,035 theaters.
Rounding out the top five: Buena Vista's drama "Crimson Tide" ($12.8 million) and Sony's comedy drama "Forget Paris" starring Billy Crystal and Debra Winger ($7.7 million). Key films cracked $100 million for the first time with $112.0 million for May 26-29.
Memorial Day 1996 really brought the holiday weekend into its own as Paramount launched "Mission: Impossible" to $56.8 million for four days and $74.9 million for six days (including Tuesday night previews) at 3,012 theaters. It was the widest release ever for a Memorial Day opening.
Warners' disaster drama "Twister" was a solid second with $38.0 million in its third weekend. Buena Vista's comedy "Spy Hard" opened in third place with $10.4 million for four days. Universal's family film "Flipper" was fourth with $5.4 million. Fifth place went to Fox's drama "The Truth About Cats and Dogs" ($2.7 million). Key films collected $124.99 million from May 24-27.
What was big in '96 looked smaller a year later as Memorial Day 1997 saw Universal's opening of Steven Spielberg's "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" to $92.7 million at 3,281 theaters for four days (including its Thursday night previews).
Warners' opening of the drama "Addicted to Love" was a distant second with $11.4 million for four days at 2,007 theaters. Sony's sci-fi drama "The Fifth Element" was third ($8.0 million), followed by New Line's comedy "Austin Powers" ($5.6 million) and Paramount's drama "Breakdown" ($5.4 million). Key films did a hefty $142.9 million from May 23-26.
Memorial Day 1998 saw the marketplace contract again as Sony's "Godzilla" opened in first place with $55.7 million for four days and $74.3 million for six days at 3,310 theaters. Paramount's sci-fi disaster drama "Deep Impact" was second with $19.4 million in its third weekend.
Buena Vista's drama "The Horse Whisperer" starring Robert Redford and Kristin Scott-Thomas was third with $14.5 million in its second weekend. Also in the top five: Fox's satire "Bulworth" starring Warren Beatty ($10.5 million) and Warners' animated feature "Quest For Camelot" ($6.3 million). Key films grossed $128.97 million from May 22-25.
Memorial Day 1999 was topped by Fox's "Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace" from George Lucas with $66.9 million for four days at 3,023 theaters, bringing its cume to $207.1 million for 13 days.
Second place went to Universal's opening of its romantic comedy drama "Notting Hill" starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant ($27.7 million for four days at 2,747 theaters). Universal also took third place with "The Mummy" ($12.9 million). Rounding out the top five: Fox's romantic thriller "Entrapment" ($7.2 million) and Sony's opening of its sci-fi thriller "The Thirteenth Floor" ($4.3 million for four days at 1,815 theaters). Key films took in $136.1 million from May 28-31.

The house has been brought down again.
The Queen Latifah/Steve Martin comedy Bringing Down the House stayed at number one for the second week in a row with a $22.4 million* haul.
The new kids on the block were not too far behind. The 'tween actioner Agent Cody Banks opened at No. 2 with $15 million and the knife-driven thriller The Hunted came in third place with $13.5 million, while the creepy rat movie Willard scurried into eighth place with $4 million.
Last week's war-torn opener Tears of the Sun slipped from its No. 2 spot to fourth place at $8.8 million, while the musical Chicago rounded out the top five with a hefty $7.7 million.
THE TOP TEN
Buena Vista's PG-13 Bringing Down the House laughed to the bank once again with an ESTIMATED $22.4 million (-28%) in 2,801 theaters ($7,997 per theater). Its cume is approximately $61.6 million, which means moviegoers apparently do want to see a ghetto fabulous gal from the 'hood turn an uptight white guy's life upside down.
Directed by Adam Shankman, it stars Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, Eugene Levy and Joan Plowright.
MGM's junior spy movie aimed directly at the highly profitable 10-13 age group, the PG-rated Agent Cody Banks, debuted in second place with an ESTIMATED $15 million at 3,369 theaters ($4,452 per theater).
The film centers on a typical teenager who loves to skateboard, hates math and feels like a complete idiot around girls. But Cody Banks differs from other teens in one big way: He's actually a junior CIA agent out to save the world--and of course, a girl.
Directed by Harald Zwart, it stars Frankie Muniz, Hilary Duff and Angie Harmon.
Taking a look at the flip side of what being a government agent is really like, Paramount Pictures' dark R-rated thriller The Hunted opened at No. 3 with an ESTIMATED $13.5 million at 2,516 theaters ($5,366 per theater).
The story follows a Special Forces assassin trained in the use of knives who goes off the deep end and must be stopped by the agent who taught him to be a killing machine.
Directed by William Friedkin, it stars Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio Del Toro and Connie Nielsen.
Sony Pictures' R-rated Tears of the Sun fell from last week's No. 2 spot to No. 4 with an ESTIMATED $8.8 million (-48%) at 2,973 theaters ($2,960 per theater). With a highly patriotic theme about an elite Navy SEAL team sent in to rescue a American doctor and the Nigerian village she's taking care of, its cume is approximately $30.8 million.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, it stars Bruce Willis and Monica Bellucci.
Riding high on some serious awards buzz after winning several Screen Actors Guild honors, Miramax Films' PG-13 Chicago slipped one notch to fifth place with an ESTIMATED $7.7 million but still managed to gain 13 percent more in box office totals than last week. The film played in 2,600 theaters ($2,966 per theater) and now in its 12th week has a cume of approximately $125.4 million.
Directed by Rob Marshall, it stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere.
Sixth place belonged to the R-rated DreamWorks laffer Old School, which dropped three spots from last week with an ESTIMATED $6.8 million (-26%) in 2,452 theaters (-255 theaters; $2,773 per theater). The comedy about a trio of former college buds who start their own off-campus fraternity has accumulated approximately $60.9 million so far.
Directed by Todd Phillips, it stars Luke Wilson, Will Farrell and Vince Vaughn.
Romance still makes it up there on the top ten list as Paramount's PG-13 How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days dropped from fifth to seventh place with an ESTIMATED $4.8 million (-28%) in 2,430 theaters (-467 theaters; $1,988 per theater). Now in its sixth week, the film's cume is approximately $93.8 million.
Directed by Donald Petrie, it stars Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.
*Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc.
New Line Cinema's ratty PG-13 Willard debuted at No. 8 with an ESTIMATED $4 million at 1,761 theaters ($2,286 per theater).
A loosely based remake of the 1971 cult classic, the story revolves around a timid introvert who can psychically command his whiskered, four-legged friends to do whatever he wants--including "tearing up" some of his enemies. Blech.
Directed by Glen Morgan, it stars Crispin Glover, R. Lee Ermey and Laura Elena Harring.
20th Century Fox's PG-13 comic-book actioner Daredevil shimmied its way down from seventh to ninth place with an ESTIMATED $3.040 million (-42%) at 2,054 theaters (-724 theaters; $1,480 per theater). In its fifth week, the film's cume is approximately $96 million.
Directed by Mark Steven Johnson, it stars Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan.
Barely coming in under Daredevil was Warner Bros. R-rated Cradle 2 the Grave, which dropped four spots to take 10th place with an ESTIMATED $3.003 million (-54%) at 2,150 theaters (-475 theaters; $1,397 per theater). The high-octane actioner's cume is approximately $31.7 million.
Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, it stars DMX, Jet Li, Gabrielle Union, Anthony Anderson and Tom Arnold.
OTHER OPENINGS
Fox Searchlight's PG-13 Bend It Like Beckham, which was a huge hit in Britain last year, opened in limited U.S. release with an ESTIMATED $151,717 in 6 theaters ($25,286 per theater).
The film follows the aspirations of a young Indian girl living in London whose only desire is to play soccer--even if it means going against her traditional family's wishes.
Directed Gurinder Chadha, it stars Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
This weekend's top 12 films grossed $93.3 million, down 1.33 percent from last weekend's take of $94.5 million, as well as down 22 percent from the $120 million of the same weekend last year.
Last year's top grossers were all newcomers: 20th Century Fox's Ice Age opened at No. 1 with a whopping $46.3 million (3,316 theaters; $13,966 per theater) while Sony's Resident Evil came in second with $17.7 million (2,528 theaters; $7,004 per theater) and Warner's Showtime in third with $15 million (2,917 theaters; $5,146 per theater).

Bringing Down the House follows Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin) a divorced conservative workaholic tax attorney who is still hung up on his ex-wife (Jean Smart) but has little time for a social life--or his two kids (Kimberly J. Brown Angus T. Jones). His only outlet is a cyber relationship with an online chat buddy he thinks is a buxom blonde lawyer with whom he finally makes a date to meet in person. Lo and behold the buxom blonde turns out to be the ghetto fabulous Charlene (Queen Latifah) a convict who claims she's been framed for a crime and wants Peter to help clear her name. None too happy about this turn of events Peter just wants her out of his house like yesterday but this woman will not be ignored. She quickly invades his home his life and jeopardizes his career especially his efforts to woo a billion-dollar client (Joan Plowright). Is Charlene really all that bad? Of course not--she's just a misguided angel in disguise and soon she is showing Peter the error of his ways helping his family come together.
Martin once again displays his knack for physical comedy and does indeed "bring down the house" a number of times. But darn it--and I truly hate to say this--the man is just getting a too old to be bouncing around like he used to. He makes fun of his age in the film but goes ahead and dry humps Charlene on the couch in a drunken stupor or dresses up in gangsta-rap gear anyway. It's embarrassing. Martin is much better suited as the suave intelligent bitingly acerbic fellow we know and love. Perhaps he should think about doing more in the vein of his devastatingly wicked performance in David Mamet's The Spanish Prisoner. Latifah on the other hand fits in like a glove rising above the material and stealing almost every scene she is in. After snagging an Oscar nod for her juicy turn in Chicago it seems to be the Queen's year--so look out folks here she comes! The film is also briefly elevated by the hysterical supporting turns of Eugene Levy Peter's jive-talkin' associate Howie who's got a jones for Charlene; Betty White as Peter's neighbor a twisted racist version of Mrs. Kravitz from the TV show Bewitched; and Plowright as the snooty Mrs. Arness who gets high with a little help from some pot-smokin' friends in a club one of the better "stoned" scenes in recent memory.
Latifah told Entertainment Weekly that House's first draft was so heavily populated with racist characters it was "a wreck and offensive...The question was Can we make it what it needs to be?" A very good question indeed and it's pretty clear they weren't able to fix the inherent problems. It's a broad comedy pure and simple but in making us laugh apparently it is also necessary to insult our intelligence. Director Adam Shankman (A Walk to Remember; The Wedding Planner) handles the material like a bull in a china shop going straight for hackneyed jokes where nothing comes as a surprise and everything can be seen a mile away (especially if you saw the trailer). The Mary Poppins-ish theme with the brash Charlene could have been an entertaining twist on the "traveling angel" genre (a term used by screenwriting guru John Truby) where a character comes in changes everything around for the better and then leaves. Instead House unfortunately falls into staid patterns with only brief moments of hilarity.

It won't just be difficult, it will be virtually impossible to evict "Mission: Impossible 2" from first place this weekend.
After opening to nearly $92 million for the six-day Memorial Day holiday period, Paramount's "M:I-2" is certain to hold on to the top spot on the chart in its second week.
The PG-13 action adventure sequel did $96.3 million its first seven days in theaters vs. the original "Mission's" $79 million. The sequel cracked $100 million on Wednesday, its eighth day in release, and is heading for $200-250 million in the U.S. and Canada. It should do $300-350 million in international theaters, giving it a likely worldwide cume of $500-600 million, compared to the first film's $465 million.
"'Mission' will be number one," promises one insider. "The first one dropped 52 percent in its second weekend. This one did $57.8 million (from Friday-Sunday), so they should expect to be somewhere in the mid-to-high $20 millions. It's going to drop 50 percent-plus. Even if it's 55 percent, I wouldn't be alarmed.
"When you're coming off a Memorial Day weekend with a picture that opened to this magnitude, you just have to expect a 50 percent drop. Your Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is like a Saturday. 'Lost World' was down 53 percent (in its second weekend). A 55 percent drop would put them at $26 million. I think it's $26-28 million."
Going into its second weekend, "M:I-2" was a 22 percent first choice in tracking studies, suggesting it should continue to benefit from strong want-to-see by moviegoers who just haven't gotten to see it yet.
"We have such a big population now and, of course, admission prices are so high we tend to forget you can rack up very big numbers with a very small portion of the population," a distributor explains. "There's a lot of people who never saw 'Titanic' in a movie theater (and it grossed $600.8 million domestically)."
Insiders say the tracking shows "M:I-2" started to get repeat business over the weekend. Repeat ticket sales are typically to younger moviegoers, which is encouraging since the picture's initial appeal was more adult.
Directed by John Woo, "M:I-2" was produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner through their Cruise/Wagner production company, which also produced the 1996 blockbuster "Mission: Impossible." Besides Cruise, the sequel stars Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Sherbedgia and Ving Rhames. It was written by Robert Towne and executive produced by Terence Chang and Paul Hitchcock.
The weekend's only new wide opening, 20th Century Fox's PG-13 comedy "Big Momma's House," will be in 2,800-plus theaters and should finish a hefty second.
"It's good," comments one source looking at the tracking. "It's 83 percent awareness, 43 percent definite interest and 13 percent first choice overall. But it has a 59 percent first choice for African-Americans. It's going to play pretty much urban ethnic. It'll do between $17-20 million."
"I think it's in the high teens - maybe $18 million," agrees another distribution executive.
Directed by Raja Gosnell, it stars Martin Lawrence and Nia Long.
Buena Vista/Disney's PG computer animated feature "Dinosaur," should take third place in its third weekend.
"If it's down 50 percent, it's $12.5 million," an insider notes. "It's somewhere in the low teens."
Directed by Ralph Zondag and Eric Leighton, it features such voices as D.B Sweeney, Ossie Davis, Joan Plowright, Della Reese and Alfre Woodard.
What happens to Buena Vista/Touchstone and Spyglass Entertainment's PG-13 action comedy "Shanghai Noon," which arrived to a very encouraging $19.6 million for the six-day holiday period?
"I'm hearing such good things about the picture and how it plays," says a competing studio executive. "It's coming off Memorial Day weekend, so it's got to drop some. But it did $15.6 million (from Friday-Sunday), and if it has only a 30 percent drop, which would be pretty remarkable, that puts it at $11 million. So it could be right in there behind 'Dinosaur.'"
Directed by Tom Dey, "Shanghai" stars Jackie Chan, Owen C. Wilson and Lucy Liu.
DreamWorks' R-rated action adventure hit "Gladiator" should round out the Top Five with $7-8 million in its fifth week. The film is half owned by Universal, which is releasing it internationally.
Directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Russell Crowe.
With no other big new openings to jockey for position, the rest of the marketplace should just shift down one position apiece. That would put DreamWorks' R-rated youth appeal comedy "Road Trip" in sixth place in its third week while DreamWorks' PG-rated Woody Allen comedy "Small Time Crooks" comes in seventh in its third week.
Filling out lower rungs: "Frequency," "U-571" and "Center Stage."
On the limited release front: Columbia's G-rated family drama "Running Free."
Directed by Sergei Bodrov, it stars Chase Moore.

The weekend's biggest gross went to Jim Carrey's gross-out comedy "Me, Myself &amp; Irene."
20th Century Fox's opening of the R-rated "Irene" easily captured first place with a high-speed ESTIMATED $24.16 million at 3,016 theaters ($8,012 per theater).
"Irene's" per theater average was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Directed by Peter &amp; Bobby Farrelly ("There's Something About Mary"), "Irene" stars Jim Carrey and Renee Zellweger.
"It's the highest-grossing R-rated comedy original ever released. The highest one (R-rated comedy) was 'Beverly Hills Cop 2,' which was a sequel and did $33 million," Tom Sherak, 20th Domestic Film Group chairman and senior executive vice president of Fox Filmed Entertainment, said Sunday morning.
Looking at the studio's Friday night exit polls, Sherak said, "The audience was 50% male and 50% female. 58% were over 25. It played best to (males) 25 and younger." Males under 25, he said, scored it 80% in the Top Two Boxes -- 45% excellent and 35% very good -- with an 80% definite recommend.
Females under 25 rated it 75% in the Top Two Boxes - 35% excellent and 40% very good -- with a 68% definite recommend.
Males over 25 scored it 64% in the Top Two boxes - 30% excellent and 34% very good -- with a 53% definite recommend.
Females over 25 liked it least, scoring it 58% in the Top Two Boxes - 22% excellent and 36% very good -- with a 50% definite recommend.
"Based on the way the market is, it's a good opening," Sherak added. "Everybody's happy (at Fox)."
"There's Something About Mary," Fox's previous blockbuster from "Irene" directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly, opened the weekend of July 17-19, 1998, to $13.7 million at 2,186 theaters ($6,286 per theater). It went on to gross $176.5 million in domestic theaters.
DreamWorks' G-rated animated feature "Chicken Run" opened a strong second with a sizzling ESTIMATED $17.5 million at 2,491 theaters ($7,025 per theater).
"Chicken" began running Wednesday at six theaters in New York and Los Angeles, grossing $47,328 Wednesday and $48,598 Thursday. Its two-day total of $95,926 makes its five-day cume approximately $17.6 million.
"Chicken's" early run in New York and L.A. was intended to attract media attention in the country's top two markets. DreamWorks correctly anticipated that the film would draw favorable reviews and wanted to have quotes available in time for its weekend ads.
Directed by Peter Lord &amp; Nick Park, "Chicken" features such voices as Mel Gibson and Miranda Richardson.
"'Antz' opened to $17.2 million, which was our biggest (previous animated feature opening)," DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp said Sunday morning. "It's extremely positive because 'Antz' opened at a time (Oct. 2-4, 1998) when there was nothing else in the market for your core family audience. Right now, you've got 'Titan,' 'Dinosaur' and 'Fantasia' in the market. So it's a little more crowded than normal."
Tharp also pointed out that the film's "jump from Friday to Saturday was 29%. Historically, animation in June goes up 8% to 15%. If you look back at any of the animated movies that opened in recent history, none have gone up more than 15% or 16% and most around 10%. So the movie is playing on a broader basis, well beyond the core family audience. I think that's caused by the reviews that we got. It was almost 100% really good reviews as well as (very favorable) word of mouth.
"In today's world, you start seeing the results of word of mouth on Saturday and Sunday of the opening week. In the old days, you'd have to wait a week or so. Word of mouth is almost instantaneous because of the internet and megaplexes where so many people can see the movie and you get the word out."
DreamWorks, he added, is, "very pleased - to the point where we're going to add 300 to 400 runs this Friday for the holiday weekend. We think the movie is now set up perfectly to expand over those five days (of the July Fourth weekend) and the gross should hold very well."
Paramount's R-rated urban appeal remake "Shaft" fell two rungs to third place in its second week, packing less punch with an ESTIMATED $13.25 million (-38%) at 2,407 theaters (+70 theaters; $5,505 per theater). Its cume is approximately $42.9 million, heading for the low $70 millions.
"I thought it was going to be 35%-40% off and it's pretty much in that ballpark," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "It's not crossing over (to suburban audiences) to the extent that we hoped for. The big grosses are still the big urban markets, primarily ethnic audiences."
Directed by John Singleton, "Shaft" stars Samuel L. Jackson and Vanessa Williams.
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13-rated action thriller "Gone In 60 Seconds" continued sliding in its third weekend, down two pegs to fourth place with a less sexy ESTIMATED $9.5 million (-36%) at 3,089 theaters (+40 theaters; $3,085 per theater). Its cume is approximately $68.9 million.
Directed by Dominic Sena and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Mike Stenson, "Gone" stars Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie.
20th Century Fox's PG-13 comedy "Big Momma's House" was still showing good legs in its fourth week, down two notches to fifth place with an ESTIMATED $8.7 million (-25%) at 2,846 theaters (+3 theaters; $3,057 per theater). Its cume is approximately $85.4 million, on its way to $90-100 million.
Directed by Raja Gosnell, it stars Martin Lawrence and Nia Long.
Paramount's blockbuster "Mission: Impossible 2" dropped two notches to sixth place in its fifth week with a less thrilling ESTIMATED $8.0 million (-30%) at 3,245 theaters (-388 theaters; $2,465 per theater).
The PG-13 rated action adventure sequel's cume is approximately $189.3 million, heading for $210-220 million in domestic theaters. The first "Mission" did $181 million domestically.
Directed by John Woo, "M:I-2" stars Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Sherbedgia and Ving Rhames.
DreamWorks' R-rated action adventure "Gladiator" rose one peg to seventh place in its eighth week with a still solid ESTIMATED $4.0 million (-25%) at 1,812 theaters (-454 theaters; $2,208 per theater). Its cume is approximately $165.6 million, heading for about $180 million in domestic theaters.
"Gladiator" is half owned by Universal, which is releasing it internationally. Its international cume cracked $300 million this weekend, a spokesman for Universal said Sunday morning. Its opening in France this weekend, he said, was the last of its major territory openings, bringing the film's international total to about $145 million.
Directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Russell Crowe.
20th Century Fox's PG-rated animated feature "Titan A.E." plunged three orbits in its second week with a disappointing ESTIMATED $3.7 million (-60%) at 2,768 theaters (+34 theaters; $1,337 per theater). Its cume is approximately $16.9 million.
Buena Vista/Disney's PG-rated computer animated feature "Dinosaur" fell two notches to ninth place in its sixth weekend with a dull ESTIMATED $3.5 million (-41%) at 2,248 theaters (-690 theaters; $1,535 per theater). Its cume is approximately $127.0 million, heading for about $140 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Ralph Zondag and Eric Leighton, "Dinosaur" features such voices as D.B. Sweeney, Ossie Davis, Joan Plowright, Della Reese and Alfre Woodard.
Rounding out the Top Ten was Dimension Films' PG-13-rated teen appeal romantic comedy "Boys and Girls," down four pegs in its second week with a less attractive ESTIMATED $3.1 million (-56%) at 1,989 theaters (+6 theaters; $1,558 per heater). Its cume is approximately $14.0 million.
Directed by Robert Iscove, "Boys" stars Freddie Prinze, Jr., Claire Forlani, Jason Biggs and Amanda Detmer.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of USA Films' R-rated drama "Boricua's Bond," placing 20th with a quiet ESTIMATED $53,000 at 24 theaters ($2,225 per theater).
Directed by Val Lik, it stars Val Lik and Tyson Beckford.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front, Miramax's R-rated drama "Butterfly" went wider in its second week, placing 19th with a quiet ESTIMATED $84,000 at 14 theaters ($6,000 per theater). Its cume is approximately $128,000.
"'Butterfly' went into an additional eight markets this past weekend," Miramax senior vice president, marketing David Kaminow said Sunday morning. "We're going to go next Friday to the top twenty markets."
Directed by Jose Luis Cuerda, it stars Fernando Fernan Gomez.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 for the weekend -- took in approximately $102.41 million, down about 19.50% from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $127.22 million.
This weekend's key film gross was up about 2.84% from this year's previous weekend when key films grossed $99.58 million.
Last year, Sony's opening week of "Big Daddy" was first with $41.54 million at 3,027 theaters ($13,722 per theater); and Buena Vista/Disney's second week of "Tarzan" was second with $24.06 million at 3,049 theaters ($7,890 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $65.6 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $41.7 million.
STUDIO MARKET SHARES
Based on business by key films (those grossing $500,000 or more), last weekend's top six distributors were:
20th Century Fox was first with three films ("Me, Myself &amp; Irene," "Big Momma's House" and "Titan, A.E."), grossing an ESTIMATED $36.56 million or 35.7% of the market.
DreamWorks was second with four films("Chicken Run," "Gladiator," "Road Trip" and "Small Time Crooks"), grossing an ESTIMATED $23.6 million or 23.0% of the market.
Paramount was third with two films ("Shaft" and "Mission: Impossible 2"), grossing an ESTIMATED $21.25 million or 20.8% of the market.
Buena Vista (Disney and Touchstone) was fourth with four films("Gone in 60 Seconds," "Dinosaur," "Fantasia 2000" and "Shanghai Noon"), grossing an ESTIMATED $16.8 million or 16.4% of the market.
Miramax (Miramax and Dimension) was fifth with one film ("Boys and Girls"), grossing an ESTIMATED $3.1 million or 3.0% of the market.
New Line was sixth with one film ("Frequency"), grossing an ESTIMATED $0.58 million or 0.6% of the market.
ADDITIONAL ESTIMATES
(11)Shanghai Noon/Buena Vista/Touchstone: Theaters: 1,569 (-567) Gross: $2.2 million (-42%) Average per theater: $1,405 Cume: $51.9 million
(12)Fantasia 2000/Buena Vista/Disney: Theaters: 1,313 (0) Gross: $1.6 million (-45%) Average per theater: $1,219 Cume: $55.7 million (including IMAX run)
(13)Road Trip/DreamWorks: Theaters: 1,468 (-683) Gross: $1.5 million (-51%) Average per theater: $1,022 Cume: $63.6 million
(14)Small Time Crooks/DreamWorks: Theaters: 463 (-149) Gross: $0.6 million (-35%) Average per theater: $1,296 Cume: $15.8 million
(15)Frequency/New Line: Theaters: 527 (-250) Gross: $0.58 million (-34%) Average per theater: $1,095 Cume: $42.7 million
(16)U-571/Universal: Theaters: 546 (-142) Gross: $0.52 million (-25%) Average per theater: $945 Cume: $75.0 million
(17)The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas/Universal: Theaters: 506 (-60) Gross: $0.28 million (-30%) Average per theater: $545 Cume: $33.3 million
(18)Erin Brockovich/Universal: Theaters: 413 (-72) Gross: $0.25 million (-25%) Average per theater: $605 Cume: $124.3 million
(19)Butterfly/Miramax: (See EXPANSIONS above)
(20)BORICUA'S BOND/USA Films: (See OTHER OPENINGS above)

Won a local drama prize at age 15, which led to a week's work playing a maid with the Harry Hanson Players

Starred in the unsold pilot for a television series based on the hit play and film "Driving Miss Daisy"

Cast as Aunt Clara in the big screen adaptation of "Bewitched"

Had lead role in the TV-movie "Frankie and Hazel" (Showtime)

Had stage success with "The House of Bernarda Alba"; recreated role for TV (aired in 1991 on PBS)

Cast as Aunt Lucinda in the fantasy film "The Spiderwick Chronicles"

Raised in Scunthorpe, England

Recreated stage role opposite Olivier in film version of "The Entertainer"

Starred as the maid Martha Sowerby in the Showtime movie "Back to the Secret Garden"

Made Broadway debut in "The Entertainer"

Returned to features after a ten year absence in film adaptation of "Three Sisters"; co-directed by husband Olivier

Directed "Evasion of Woman" at the Old Vic Theater

Summary

Acknowledged as one of the finest stage actresses of her generation, Joan Plowright unexpectedly put her burgeoning career on hold in order to focus her young family and famous husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, prior to enjoying a sudden resurgence at the tender age of 60. Having honed her performance skills on the stages of London's Old Vic and Royal Court Theatres, Plowright impressed with supporting roles in films like "Time Without Pity" (1957) and "The Entertainer" (1960), the latter film starring future husband, Olivier. Despite this early success, she spent much of the 1960s and '70s dividing her time between family duties and occasional stage work with Olivier. Eventually, Plowright made a tentative return to film in projects such as "Brimstone and Treacle" (1982) and "Drowning by Numbers" (1988), although it was in the years that followed the passing of Olivier that her own career experienced new life. Suddenly reinvigorated, the actress appeared in an astounding number of films and television programs throughout the next decade, including acclaimed turns in "Avalon" (1990), "Enchanted April" (1992), "Stalin" (HBO, 1992), "Widow's Peak" (1995) and "Tea With Mussolini" (1999). In 2004, she reached her late husband's vaunted status in the U.K. when she was awarded the title of Dame Joan Plowright by Queen Elizabeth II. Continuing to appear in such films as "The Spiderwick Chronicles" (2008), Plowright remained as vibrant on screen as she had 50 years earlier.<p>Born Joan Ann Plowright on Oct. 28, 1929, in Brigg, Lincolnshire, England, she was the daughter of Daisy Margaret and William Ernest Plowright, a newspaper editor. Raised in nearby Scunthorpe, she was encouraged by her mother to participate in the productions of the amateur theater group that she oversaw. Despite her father's misgivings, the young Plowright pursued her growing acting ambitions, and at the age of 15, won an amateur theater prize, which included a week's run performing in a production with the Harry Hanson Players. Although being discouraged against following her dream by a curmudgeonly Mr. Hanson, she returned to her theatrical studies with a stint at the Laban Art of Movement Studio after graduating high school. After making her professional stage debut in a 1948 production of "If Four Walls Could Talk," it was off to London, when Plowright received a two-year scholarship to study at the prestigious Old Vic Theatre School. Following her London stage debut in 1954, Plowright became a member of the Royal Court Theatre in 1956, where she appeared in such productions as "The Crucible" and "The Country Wife." It was during a performance of the latter play that a certain Laurence Olivier, who was sitting in the audience with his then-wife, actress Vivien Leigh, first noticed Plowright. In interviews years later, the man many deemed the greatest actor of his generation, freely admitted that he was instantly smitten.<p>Meanwhile, Plowright, who had previously appeared in a handful of British television productions, made her feature film debut with an uncredited turn in American director John Huston's epic adaptation of Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" (1956), starring Gregory Peck as the obsessed Captain Ahab. In 1957, she took over the role of Jean, the daughter of fading music hall performer Archie Rice (Olivier) in playwright John Osborne's acclaimed drama "The Entertainer." By all accounts, it was during the course of the production and its subsequent run on Broadway that the actors fell in love. Steadily gaining notoriety, Plowright landed her first significant film role in Joseph Losey's taut British thriller "Time Without Pity" (1957). Later, she starred as Lady Teazle in a taped-for-television performance of Richard Sheridan's "The School for Scandal" (BBC, 1959), followed by the feature film adaptation of "The Entertainer" (1960), once again opposite Olivier in the title role. By then, Plowrights' marriage to British actor Roger Cage had ended, as had Olivier's 20-year union with the mentally ill Leigh. Now free to publicly acknowledge their relationship, the couple quickly married in 1961. For her Broadway performance as the unwed mother in "A Taste of Honey" that same year, Plowright received a 1961 Tony Award for Best Actress.<p>Surprising many, Plowright, whose professional trajectory was on a definite upswing, chose to spend the better part of the next two decades raising her growing family in order to allow her more famous husband to focus on his career. Still making time for periodic work on the stage, she was triumphant in a production of George Bernard Shaw's "St. Joan" (1963), and played Sonya in a recorded mounting of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" (1963). Plowright later made her directorial debut with "Evasion of Woman" at the Old Vic Theater in 1969, prior to returning to the cineplex in a film adaptation of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" (1970), co-directed by Olivier, who performed in the production as well. That same year, she also appeared as Portia opposite Olivier's Shylock in a performance of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" with the National Theatre. She eventually returned to the London stage with a glowing performance in the title role of the 1977 production of "Filumena," in addition to taking on a rare film role for director Sidney Lumet in the adaptation of playwright Peter Shaffer's psychological drama "Equus" (1977), starring Richard Burton. In 1980, Plowright reprised her role of Filumena on Broadway, which would mark the beginning of her transition from work primarily on stage, to an increased emphasis on film.<p>Plowright began her return to film in screenwriter Dennis Potter's suburban gothic oddity, "Brimstone and Treacle" (1982), which starred pop star Sting as a mysterious stranger who may or may not be the devil incarnate. Seeming to enjoy working in darkly bizarre projects, she took part in writer-director Peter Greenway's "Drowning By Numbers" (1988; released in the USA in 1991), cast as the murderous mother of two equally deadly sisters, all of whom share the name of Cissie Colpitts. After Olivier's death from cancer in 1989, Plowright - suddenly out from under the great thespians' shadow - experienced a late-career renaissance as a character actress in film. Her cinematic second life began with a turn as a mother unsuccessfully trying to assist her daughter (Tracey Ullman) in the murder of her philandering husband (Kevin Kline) in director Lawrence Kasdan's dark comedy "I Love You to Death" (1990). Right on its heels came writer-director Barry Levinson's third entry in his Baltimore trilogy, "Avalon" (1990), in which she played the matriarch of a Polish-Jewish immigrant family. With her Golden Globe-winning portrayal of the waspish Mrs. Fisher in director Mike Newell's "Enchanted April" (1992), Plowright now found herself in high demand as a character player.<p>More as a treat for her grandchildren than to satisfy any creative need, Plowright played the saintly wife to Walter Matthau's Mr. Wilson in the big screen adaptation of the classic comic strip, "Dennis the Menace" (1993), in addition to a brief appearance in the Arnold Schwarzenegger self-referencing satire "Last Action Hero" (1993). She then offered a slight variation of the Mrs. Fisher character in the comedy-drama "Widow's Peak" (1994), alongside Mia Farrow and Natasha Richardson. Working at a breakneck pace, she was also seen in director Roland Joffé's critically-reviled interpretation of "The Scarlet Letter" (1995), Franco Zeffirelli's criminally under-seen version of Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre" (1996), the Merchant-Ivory production of "Surviving Picasso" (1996), and as the stalwart nanny in Disney's live-action remake of "101 Dalmatians" (1996), to name but a few. After a featured role in the romantic drama "Dance With Me" (1998), Plowright made her first venture into weekly television as a cast member on the sitcom "Encore! Encore!" (NBC, 1998-99). Cast as the feisty owner of a Napa Valley vineyard and the mother of a former opera star (Nathan Lane), the actress provided several of the short-lived show's most over-the-top moments.<p>Barely slowing down, Plowright once again played one of her signature English upper crust characters in Zeffirelli's semi-autobiographical "Tea with Mussolini" (1999), alongside Cher and fellow British theater grand dames, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. Easily moving from period drama to contemporary comedy, later projects included a turn as an eccentric billionaire in the Steve Martin-Queen Latifah pairing "Bringing Down the House" (2003). She delivered a charming performance as a retired woman who unexpectedly finds a dear friend in a young, aspiring writer (Rupert Friend) in "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont" (2005), and playfully lent her voice to the animated family feature "Curious George" (2006), as Ms. Plushbottom. Plowright was also perfectly cast as the kindly, but misunderstood Aunt Lucinda in the big screen adaptation of the beloved children's fantasy book series "The Spiderwick Chronicles" (2008). Other late career roles included a turn in the gothic thriller "Knife Edge" (2009), and an appearance alongside Chevy Chase in the holiday family comedy "Goose on the Loose" (2011).<p><i>By Bryce Coleman</i>

Married from March 17, 1961 until Olivier's death from cancer July 11, 1989

Julie-Kate Olivier

Daughter

Father, Laurence Olivier

Richard Olivier

Son

Father, Laurence Olivier

William Plowright

Father

David Plowright

Brother

Executive at Granada Television; forced to resign in February 1992; as head of programming he was responsible for "Brideshead Revisited" and "The Jewel in the Crown"

Education

Name

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Laban Art of Movement Studio

Notes

In 1970, Plowright was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her "contribution to the British theater" by Queen Elizabeth II

"When you get such interesting and amusing film roles, it doesn't seem dreadfully exciting to be in the 257th revival of [the 19th Century play] 'The Rivals.' And it's fun setting off all over the world and being extremely well-paid." – Plowright to The Los Angeles Times, Dec. 31, 1996

On her marriage to Olivier and her decision to put their family first, Plowright told Valerie Grove of The Los Angeles Times (Dec. 31, 1996): "If a man is to achieve, someone has to step down for a bit, as long as each of you gets a turn. He was a world-famous figure, and I sensed the responsibility I had in helping to keep his life going in an enormously important, highly stressful job. Larry didn't want us to be ships that passed in the night."